Fresh on the heels of 5 Academy Award nominations, let's take a look at the Blur-ray release of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.
The Film
If you haven't seen PROMOSING YOUNG WOMAN, remedy that immediately. Stop reading this and go watch the film. Ok, you're back. You watched the film? Its pretty damn great, huh?
When we meet Cassie (Carey Mulligan) she is protecting others while confronting something mysterious from her past. She has completely let go of her personal or self serving goals in the name of a higher purpose.
The film has been rightly praised by critics and audiences alike for its writing, performances, and direction. Its not often that original films like PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN are embraced so widely but it seems like we got this one right. I imagine this film will be sadly evergreen for years to come.
The way we treat sexuality in Western culture needs honest and thoughtful examination. While we may have made some progress (emphasis on some) in the last couple years, we are nowhere near where we need to be.
In PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Mulligan delivers one of the best performances of the decade with support from an incredible ensemble cast cast including Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Connie Britton, Alfred Molina, Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chris Lowell, and Molly Shannon.
BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES:
Behind The Scenes Featurettes
- A Promising Vision – Writer/Director Emerald Fennell discusses her inspirations for writing the film and the cast discuss its social implications.
- Two-Sided Transformation – The cast and director look at why Carey Mulligan was an ideal choice to play "Cassie." Crew members from wardrobe, hair, and makeup discuss how their work expresses the balance between light and dark in Cassie.
- Balancing Act – A look at the balance of comedy, thriller, drama, social commentary, and all the other genres that make up the DNA of PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN.
These behind scenes featurettes are only a few minutes each and provide little more than a cursory look at the making of the film.
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Emerald Fennell
This is without a doubt the reason to purchase this disc. Emerald gives a thoughtful walkthrough of the technical aspects of her film. From the reasons shots are composed in certain ways, how the costumes inform the narrative, and the casting, Emerald delivers an entertaining and informative commentary.
Did you catch the Clueless reference in the film? No? Neither did I. All the more reason to give the commentary track a day in court.
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
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